Cotton chopper and cultivator



J. B. NICHOLS; Cotton Chopper and Cultivator.

No. 225,856. Patented Mar. 23, 1880.

@ ATTORNEY NJETERS, PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WA$NINGTOM D C.

FFiClflQ JAMES B. NICHOLS, 0F EVENING SHADE, ARKANSAS.

COTTON CHOPPER AND CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,856, dated March 23, 1880.

Application filed January 28, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BELL NIeHoLs, of Evening Shade, in the county of Sharp and State of Arkansas, have inventeda new:-

and valuable Improvement in cont-intents pers and Cultivators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a top view of my improved machine, and Figs. 2 and 3 are details.

This invention has for its object the improvement of cotton-choppers; and it consists in the arrangement and novel construction of the various devices used, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates a strong rectangular frame, the side bars of which are braced transversely in front of the axle B by the beams a a and in rear thereof by the braces b b. There is also another brace, 0, between the beams a b.

The axle turns freely on the frame and is provided at each end with :a (transporting,

wheel, w, rigidly secured thereon, ant acting as drivers.

The axle has its bearing in metallic plates let into the under side of the side bars of the frame, and is prevented from displacement by means of trunnion -p1ates. It is also held against endwise displacement by the collars c at each side of the bearing-plates. Keyed on this shaft is a bevel gear, 0, that engages a similar gear, 0, upon alongitudinal shaft, D, having its hearings in the beams c and b b, and arranged at right angles to the axle. Upon this shaft is keyed a metallic disk, G, having in its front face a number of radial grooves, i, in which are seated and secured, by means of set-screws '11 the squared standardsf, to the lower ends of which are secured the cutting-blades 9. These are curved longitudinally, but in outline are square.

Projecting oppositely from the cutters, and

rigidly secured to the standards, are a number of rake-pins, it, that follow the cutters and seize upon the cotton-stalk roots, effectually removing them.

" *Tiie standards of the choppers are readily removable from the disk, when others may be substituted in caseof injury to those in use.

H indicates handles projecting from the rear end of the frame, and secured thereto in any workmanlike manner; and H, casterwheels that support the rear end of said frame. Extending transversely across the rear end of this frame is a metallic rod, 1, to which is removably secured by means of books It a sulky, J. This consists of an axle, transportingwheels, short thills, to the ends of which the hooks h are attached, and a raised seat. This sulky is designed to carry the driver, if he prefer to ride, and is made very light but it may be detached by disengaging the hooks from red I.

The frame has extending across the front braces, and generally secured thereto fixedly, a center beam, k, and at each side thereof the side beams, that are adjustable, by means of perforations a: in the said braces, to or from the beam k, thus changing the positioiis of the lateral plows L relative to the middle plow, L, according to the nature of the work. The standards 1 of these plows extend down through the inclined slots in of the beam, and are pivoted thereto by means of pins a passing through the beams and standards, as shown.

The inclination of the standards may he increased or lessened at pleasure by means of the wedges 0. These wedges fit in slots in in front of the standards or in rear thereof, and by varying the inclination of the standards regulate the penetration of the plows into the soil.

The rear braces have similar beams with attachments similar to the front beams, 70 70. These beams and attachments may be removed bodily when the corn-chopping device only is required for use.

-What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

t assess In a cotton-chopper, the combination, with I In testimony that I claim the above I have i the disk G and a mechanism operating the hereunto subscribed my name in the presence 10 slame, of 1311116 adjust-i101?)1 standards f, halving of two witnesses. ownwarc curve( ades attachec to 1 5 the ends of said standards, and the rake-pins JAMES BELL NICHOLS h, projecting from said standards behind the Witnesses: plates all constructed and arranged to op- J. NEELY SHAVER, crate as shown and described. J. F. BROWN. 

